Several Live-Action Fairytales are Headed for Your Local Movie Theater

If you had any semblance of a childhood, surely at one point or another you read some fairytales and/or had them read to you. Even if you don’t really remember, you almost certainly know the stories and characters from classic tales. From an early age, they just seem to be ingrained in us. And while most of them were probably written to teach morals or lessons, that didn’t stop them from being entertaining. This is why Hollywood has gotten on board. Although animated movies still regularly come out—like 2010’s Tangled—there seems to be a shift towards live-action fare.

In recent years, there have been several live-action movies based on fairytales, such as Maleficent and Jack the Giant Slayer. And if you are a fan of this genre, you’ll be happy to know that many more are in the works.

Coming out soon is the sequel (rather, prequel) to Snow White and the Huntsman, which is just titled The Huntsman. As you may have gathered from the title, this one won’t feature Snow White, so it will probably be taking the tale in a new and different direction. On the heels of that one will be Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass, a sequel to the very successful Tim Burton film. Though Burton is just producing this time, all the main actors from the original will be returning, along with some new folks like Sacha Baron Cohen.

Alice and all of those familiar characters have arguably never been more popular, even though the original story was written over 150 years ago. In fact, there are several video games based on her adventures. The aforementioned 2010 film spawned a game that may have even been as popular as the movie. There are also some less-than-child-friendly games, such as American McGee’s Alice, in which Wonderland is portrayed as much more dark and unfriendly place. There’s also a whimsical slots game called Adventures In Wonderland, where if you successfully help Alice through her adventures, you can win a jackpot sweeter than the Mad Hatter’s tea.

Another character that has his own slots game and will soon be making a live-action appearance is Pinocchio. This one could be particularly interesting for a number of reasons. First of all, Robert Downey Jr., who’s been trying to get this film made for years, may play both Pinocchio and Geppetto. And after Tim Burton dropped out as the director (and then Ben Stiller was briefly attached), it seemed as though Paul Thomas Anderson would be at the helm. Well, not so fast.

As of right now, Anderson is out and Ron Howard is in, according to reports. Stay tuned for the wackiness that could ensue.

Speaking of Burton, who just seems to be involved with almost anything involving fairytales, he will also be directing a live-action version of Dumbo. Though no release date is yet known, this is definitely another movie definitely worth keeping an eye on.

For more live-action fairytales that are coming down the pike, check out this article. Are you excited to see any of these?